When ChatGPT searches the web, it sends queries to search providers, reads the results and writes an answer with links to its sources. OpenAI documents how that search works and how its crawlers access sites, but not exactly how businesses are chosen. The businesses that appear tend to be the ones clearly described on their own sites and consistently well regarded elsewhere. Being accessible to OpenAI’s search crawler is the one requirement OpenAI does spell out.
A lot of what’s written about this is confident guesswork. This post separates what OpenAI actually documents from what’s commonly observed, so you can tell which advice rests on evidence.
What OpenAI documents about ChatGPT search
OpenAI says ChatGPT can search the web to answer questions with current information and links to sources. It may rewrite a question into search queries, send them to search providers, then send more specific follow-up queries, and it can use approximate location from your IP address to find local results.
OpenAI’s help article on searching the web with ChatGPT describes the process. After reviewing initial results, ChatGPT may send additional, more specific queries to other search providers. It also collects general location information based on IP address and may share that with third-party search providers, so a question about “good restaurants near me” can be rewritten for the searcher’s area.
That matters for businesses in two ways. ChatGPT’s recommendations depend partly on what search providers return for the queries it writes. And local questions are answered for the searcher’s location, so results for “an accountant near me” vary by where the person is.
The crawler that decides whether you can appear
OpenAI documents a search crawler called OAI-SearchBot and says sites that opt out of it won’t be shown in ChatGPT search answers, though they can still appear as navigational links. It’s separate from GPTBot, which relates to training, so a business can allow search while blocking training.
OpenAI’s crawler documentation lists three user agents:
| User agent | What OpenAI says it’s for | What blocking it does |
|---|---|---|
| OAI-SearchBot | Search | Sites that opt out won’t be shown in ChatGPT search answers |
| GPTBot | Crawling content that may be used to train OpenAI’s models | Signals content shouldn’t be used for training |
| ChatGPT-User | Certain user actions, such as visiting a page when someone asks a question | OpenAI says it isn’t used for automatic web crawling |
OpenAI also notes it can take around 24 hours for its systems to adjust after a robots.txt change. If a business wants to appear in ChatGPT’s search answers, checking robots.txt isn’t blocking OAI-SearchBot comes first.
What’s observed but not confirmed
Beyond search and crawler access, OpenAI doesn’t publish how ChatGPT chooses which businesses to name. People testing it commonly report that recommended businesses have clear websites, good reviews, mentions on other sites and up-to-date information. Those are reasonable observations, not documented ranking factors.
It helps to be clear about the evidence behind common claims:
| Claim you’ll often read | Evidence |
|---|---|
| Blocking OAI-SearchBot keeps you out of ChatGPT search answers | Documented by OpenAI |
| ChatGPT uses search providers and follow-up queries | Documented by OpenAI |
| Local answers use the searcher’s approximate location | Documented by OpenAI |
| Reviews, press and forum mentions influence recommendations | Commonly observed, not documented |
| A clear, detailed website helps | Commonly observed, and consistent with how search results are chosen |
| An llms.txt file helps | Not documented by OpenAI |
| Special “AI SEO” markup is needed | Not documented by OpenAI |
Where advice goes beyond the documented points, treat it as a sensible bet rather than a rule, and watch whether it changes anything for your own business.
Why established businesses tend to be named
Because ChatGPT builds answers from search results, businesses that already appear prominently in search, are described clearly on their own sites and are referenced by other trusted sources are more likely to be found and named. That’s an inference from how the process works, and it matches what’s commonly observed.
Think about what ChatGPT has to work with when someone asks for “a reliable electrician in Leeds who does EV chargers”. It writes search queries, reads the pages that come back and summarises them. A business is easier to recommend if:
- its own site says clearly what it does, where, and for whom, including specific services like EV charger installation
- other sites describe it consistently, such as directories, local news, trade bodies and review platforms
- its details are current, so the answer isn’t built on an old address, closed branch or discontinued service
- it ranks well in ordinary search for the queries ChatGPT is likely to write
None of this is specific to ChatGPT. It’s the same groundwork that helps in Google and in its AI Overviews.
What a small business can do
Start by allowing OAI-SearchBot in robots.txt, then make your website describe your services, locations and specialisms plainly on dedicated pages. Keep your details consistent across the web, earn genuine reviews and mentions, and check regularly what ChatGPT says when asked the questions your customers ask.
- Check robots.txt. Make sure OAI-SearchBot isn’t blocked, whatever you decide about GPTBot.
- Give each service its own clear page, saying what it is, who it’s for, the areas covered and what makes you different.
- Be specific. “Emergency boiler repairs in north Leeds, same-day where possible” is easier to match to a question than “heating services”.
- Keep details consistent across your site, Google Business Profile, directories and social profiles.
- Earn real reviews and mentions. Ask happy customers to review you, and look for genuine local and industry coverage.
- Test the questions customers ask. Ask ChatGPT with search on, note who’s named and which sources are linked, and repeat every month.
The free SEO checker tests whether a page blocks AI crawlers such as OAI-SearchBot, alongside other readiness checks.
What I learned
When I test the questions a client’s customers ask, the businesses ChatGPT names are rarely a surprise. They usually have the clearest pages on that exact service and the strongest presence in ordinary search. The gaps are practical: no page for the service, an old directory listing, or a forgotten robots.txt rule.
I’ve also learned to check more than once. The same question can produce different businesses on different days and in different places, so a single screenshot proves very little.
If you’d like to know how your business appears in ChatGPT and other assistants, ChatGPT and AI assistant visibility covers testing, access and content.
FAQ
Can I pay ChatGPT to recommend my business?
OpenAI doesn’t document any way to pay for a recommendation within ChatGPT’s search answers. Advertising products are separate from how search answers cite sources. The documented step you can control is allowing OAI-SearchBot to access your site, then making sure your pages clearly describe what you offer.
Why does ChatGPT recommend my competitors but not me?
Often because competitors are clearer or more visible in the sources ChatGPT reads. Check robots.txt isn’t blocking OAI-SearchBot, make sure you have a specific page for the service being asked about, and compare how your competitors are described on their sites, in directories and in reviews against your own.
Does ChatGPT use Google to find businesses?
OpenAI says ChatGPT search sends queries to search providers and may send follow-up queries to other search providers, but its help article doesn’t name all of them. Doing well in ordinary search results and having a clear, crawlable website are sensible foundations whichever providers are used.
Do reviews affect ChatGPT recommendations?
OpenAI doesn’t document reviews as a factor. People testing ChatGPT often observe that recommended businesses have strong reviews, which is plausible because reviews appear in the search results and pages ChatGPT reads. Genuine reviews help customers anyway, so they’re worth earning regardless.
More on AI search:
If you’d like to see what ChatGPT says about your business, get in touch or ask for a free assessment.
Sources
- Searching the web with ChatGPT, OpenAI Help Center, accessed 15 September 2026. Supports: search with links to sources, follow-up queries to other search providers, use of general location from IP address.
- Overview of OpenAI crawlers, OpenAI, accessed 15 September 2026. Supports: OAI-SearchBot, GPTBot and ChatGPT-User roles, opting out of OAI-SearchBot, around 24 hours to adjust.